


A Rose by Any Other Name

by tjs_whatnot



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 03:44:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6888574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjs_whatnot/pseuds/tjs_whatnot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uncle Mozzie has a new generation to mentor...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Rose by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Run the Con on LJ in a massive rush and finished with 27 minutes to spare (go me!).

“Well, this is new,” Peter hissed under his breath as he and Diana walked into her townhouse to collect his three year old son. He had had a childcare emergency and Diana had convinced him that Neal would be perfectly fine there with Theo and his manny for the day. Peter had, of course, had his doubts. 

Doubts that were now being validated as his toddler ran to him, chubby hands full of cards, and a tiny fedora on his head.

“Daddy! Daddy! Uncle Moz says if I can get all the cards to match, I win!”

“Uncle Moz?” Peter asked, eying Mozzie as he bent down to pick up his child and remove that hideous hat, even though, and he’d never admit it, it looked adorable on his son’s head, his dark curly hair peeking out. 

Mozzie shrugged, unashamed. “That’s what Theo calls me. I don’t want people to know I’m his manny out in public.”

“Child care provider is a noble profession, and perhaps the first legitimate one you’ve ever had, why would you be ashamed of that?”

“Well, besides answering your own question, _legitimate_ ,” he shivered. “It’s not about shame, I just don’t want all those vultures out there trying to poach me.”

Peter choked on a laugh.

“It’s true. Mannies in New York are hot commodities. Those agencies are monsters, but they’re nothing to the mom squad.”

Now, both he and Diana shivered. “Vicious,” Diana concurred. “Especially when they see how ridiculously smart and well mannered Theo is,” she bragged. “As if it’s all on him.”

Mozzie was blushing and rocking on his feet contently. “It’s a bit of me.”

Diana rolled her eyes, but when Mozzie turned around, she mouthed to Peter. “It’s mostly him.”

“Really?” Peter whispered back, but not quiet enough.

“Yes really,” Mozzie said, coming back in the room, holding Neal’s back pack and lunch bag. 

“You’re not worried that…” Peter started. Mozzie and Diana looked at him. He was a little thrown at how in sync the two were. He had known that Mozzie and Diana had bonded oddly after Theo was born and even when she had gone to D.C., they had kept in contact, but he’d never really seen before, how like a team they were. 

“Well, that he’d… Mozz and Neal 2.0 this new generation?”

Mozzie looked affronted, but Diana laughed and called over her shoulder as she walked into the next room. “All the time.”

“Hey, you two started it,” Mozzie accused. “You’re the ones who named them. You know what they say, a rose by any other name…”

Peter crinkled his forehead and tilted his head to study Mozzie. “What does that even mean?”

“You know. People don’t name their children after people they don’t want them to be like at all. Do they?”

“Not sane people, no.” Peter conceded. 

“So, maybe you want to give me the benefit of the doubt? Believe me, the most important thing to me is that Theo learns all the skills he’ll need, no matter what he chooses to do with his life. Free will, that is the lesson I plan to instill.”

“Free will and question everything?” Peter amended.

“Naturally.”

“But don’t worry,” Diana said, coming back with Theo in her arms, his arms wrapped around her, his head buried in her shoulder. “He’s not the only influence of his life. I like to think he, from time to time, learns things from me too.”

“Hey mommy,” Theo said, raising his head and looking at Diana. “You want to play another round of Follow the Queen?”

Diana blushed, but Mozzie beamed. “And sometimes I teach them both a thing or two. Want in on the action, Peter?”

“Nah, maybe another time. I got to get this guy home so his mommy can read him a story and I can debrief him.”

He went to hand the fedora back to Mozzie, but he waved his hands. “Keep it. It looks good on him.”

Peter smiled. “God help us all, but it does, doesn’t it?”

They both shared a smile. “Really, Mozzie, thank you for today.”

Mozzie just smiled and watched them walk to their car. Neal looked at him over Peter’s shoulder and waved. 

“...would smell just as sweet,” Mozzie muttered to himself as he waved back.


End file.
